Wins vs Experience for High School Wrestling?

[AndyStJ]

I have been watching some of the Disney Duals, and coaching really differs for choice in the second and third periods. Some coaches will always call down even when their wrestler has had trouble getting up earlier in the match and success in neutral or on top, while others will let their wrestlers call neutral if they feel uncomfortable on bottom. 

 

This seems to be a balance between winning now, and getting match experience in weaker positions and getting more improvement longer term. I can really see the benefits of experience in weaker positions, but losing a match you could have won can be corrosive to wrestler confidence.

 

What are your thoughts? In championships, I would always go for the win now, but in other matches and tournaments, I am torn.

 

[hook and half]

Work out weak positions in practice.  Matches are for winning!

 

[Thor]

There’s a difference between championships, other matches, and getting matches in June. Now should be the time to work on in live match situations what the focus has been in practice. If you’ve been working bottom for weeks cause your kids struggle on bottom, then you should be picking down every time and putting it into practice. 

[aoberlin]

I got over forcing a kid to go down a good decade ago, “because they have to learn to get out.”Yes they have to learn to get out and for the most part a practice room is the place to do it. There are some kids that are super tough on top. Especially at National Duals and if you choose down and you aren’t good at getting out you are just asking to get turned. Plus when coaching a team that you aren’t familiar with all the kids strengths and weaknesses asking the kid or their parent what they prefer really helps build the relationship and gives the wrestler confidence he may need to win the match. 

[Coach Brobst]

A national competition like this, you’re wrestling best chance to win, other June matches, I’m most often putting my guys on bottom to get live looks from someone who’s not their practice partner on top.

It’s a balance.

I also think you try to protect that ego by reading body language at end of periods, I’ll never pick neutral for them but if I want them confident I’ll throw it back to them and say your choice bottom or neutral. This little psychological trick usually results in an escape when they go bottom. Either A) they knew they could get out and did or B realized it was their choice and are extra motivated to get away because coach gave them the choice.

[Y2CJ41]

There are so many variables in these scenarios that it's hard to pinpoint exactly what to do. As a coach sometimes you just go with your gut feeling or there is some past history that can help you decide what to do.

 

Some things that play into my mind on putting a kid down when it's likely they get ridden out.

• Team score, do we need this win or even just a decision
• As Coach Brobst said, body language plays a factor
• Does this kid need to "figure it out" on bottom
• Dual scenario as in, is this the Podunk duals in the summer or something with a little more on the line like Disney
• How does the kid react to "failure?" Will him getting rode out motivate him to GTFO the next time?

During the regular season I'd be much more likely to put a kid down against someone I know is tough on top to get that "feel." That is especially true if it's likely that we'd see him again down the line. On top of that, I really don't want that other coach to know that we might just go neutral when it comes down to the important matches. Once the tournament series starts though it is all about putting the kid in the best position to win. Even at something like the DD, putting a kid down and him getting out against a tougher kid might be that little bit of confidence that he needs to get out against anyone.

 

TLDR: There is no easy answer to this.

[Ahawkeye]

There may be no easy answer to it but I'd say that one was pretty good.